September 18, 2013

Reduce packaging waste with reusable containers

September 18, 2013

Food packaging is a big part of school waste streams:
• Many materials used in food packaging are not very recyclable: foil wrappers; waxed liners, papers and cardboard; plastic/paper blends that are impossible to separate; and more
• Even packaging materials that are recyclable (like plastic sandwich bags) are rarely actually recycled, due to lack of sorting facilities or recycling programs, or because of issues of cleanliness
• Individually packaged single portions are especially trash-intensive

So what to do? You can reduce lunch trash AND lunch costs by investing in:
• A few reusable plastic containers (it’s wise to forego the cheap ones and invest in top quality)
• A spork, a reusable utensil that is a combination spoon-fork (widely available at sporting and department stores)
• A reusable lunch box

The trash reduction is obvious; and you can save money when you buy larger portions and split them at home (for example, yogurt).

You don’t have to spend a nickel to take advantage of these savings, just change a few driving habits. For more details, visit the source of this information, Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency. Read an article with more eco-driving tips here.